Is JavaScript Ready For Creating Quality Games?

kumpetan writes "After seeing so many games built with JavaScript, and considering the applications it powers and the use of Ajax, it seems like web developers are now in the game development pot. It is getting easier and more popular with libraries like jQuery, MooTools, Prototype, etc. There are even libraries like Game JS, GameQuery or JavaScript GameLib, specifically for this purpose. So, will we start to see more ambitious game projects arise using these tools?"

java != javascript

[QuantumG]

javascript is more like scheme with a C syntax (the one and only syntax, all hail!)

http://www.quantumg.net/tetris.php [quantumg.net]

Enjoy.

Re:There are Java games, so why not JScript?

[farnsworth]

I very seriously doubt the designers of Java would have envisioned someone making a couple of FPS out of their creation.

Java was originally designed [wikipedia.org] to be a multi-media platform for televisions. It's 2d and 3d APIs are, although simple, pretty good. Actual functionality was bolted on later (see ya Vector!).

Re:Actionscript

[Achoi77]

I assumed the problem with using javascript was the inability to manipulate images at the bit level with relative ease. People have made some successful projects using the canvas object to handle their 'blitting,' but do all browsers even support it (shifting eyes at IE)?

Another (rather unrelated) issue would be the lack of a mature way to communicate between server and client - cheaply that is. If someone is going to make their own browser based graphic mud, that means they are going to have to write their own comet app. Not a lot of ppl are willing to write their own server. You can't really control how you want your game to do socked based communication.

But the main issue is the lack of ability to be able to program close enough to the 'metal.' That means no native support to take advantage of things like the video card for 3D, or sound card or what have you. Nor the fact that you can't simply plug in a gamepad controller and just playing your javascript game (at least, not without doing some config work on your gamepad prior).

Most games are (relatively) graphic intensive, and the people that code them want to have the freedom to be able to access the power of the computer that is running them. With different browsers having different javascript engines, you're going to end up with very inconsistent results when playing a game on IE compared to FF compared to Safari compared to Chrome. *shrug* I don't know, it just seems too much of a pain to take into account all those factors when trying to come up with consistent gaming experiences, at least with flash or java you can (somewhat) expect to have a common platform to develop on, considering the trouble people are having with cross-browser compatability when simply making web pages. (just being snarky) :-P

Why?

[TheSpoom]

Hasn't anyone heard of "the right tool for the right job"?

Sure, you might be able to force JavaScript into displaying graphics and sound with some crazy tricks or frameworks, but why bother when you can do the same thing much easier and with many fewer browser or speed issues in Flash?

Re:java != javascript

[AKAImBatman]

http://www.quantumg.net/tetris.php

Needs work. Here's my version, complete with an adapter for Internet Exploder:

http://java.dnsalias.com/tetris/ie [dnsalias.com]

(Mine is based on the NES version rather than the more modern Tetris versions, so use UP to rotate, DOWN to make it drop faster, LEFT/RIGHT to reposition the piece. If you use IE, click outside the block-drop area to make sure that it has proper focus as I have not finished the adapter.)

While not as pretty, there's also an online multiplayer version written in Javascript here:

http://www.wiicade.com/gameDetail.aspx?gameID=1063 [wiicade.com]

That one is not mine, though the programmer did use my network technology. ;-)

Re:Quality? Games?

[Anonymous Coward]

I believe he meant "[...] if you are requiring canvas or, alternatively, png32 [...]". but was lazy and wanted to be cute.

Hmm...

[Canazza]

The main problem - as far as I can see - with Javascript based programming is that by using a plugin, such as Firebug - one can effectivly go into Debug mode, set breakpoints, changing variables and all sorts of stuff in the client-side Javascript, opening up a whole world of possibilities for hacking, so unless you want to handle changing score, state or whatever server-side (which would require a rather good server to handle that) you're going to be left with a game where you can never be sure that the outcome is a result of the game logic and not someone's poking around.
Think about a high-score table for example, I could easilly modify whatever variable holds my score and then end the game with a massive score.
Javascript games will be a novelty, no more, I don't see it becoming anything mainstream (definitly not rivialing Flash or Java) mainly because anything sensitive will be wide open to hacks and work arounds.